PETALING JAYA: A policeman accused of raping a student and forcing her to perform oral sex on him in a police station last year will stand trial on Aug 4 and 13.

Sessions Court judge Balqis Aini Mohd Ali set the new dates after being informed by a prosecutor that trial judge Aslam Zainuddin was not available as he had to hear a part-heard case at the Klang Sessions Court yesterday.

As such, DPP Nur Aishah Ahmad Zakiuddin told the judge that she had notified the complainant not to appear in court yesterday.

Jamil Abdul Sah, 28, pleaded not guilty to both charges on July 18 last year. He was suspended from duty a month earlier. He is alleged to have committed the offences at the Putra Heights police station’s information room, between 6am and 7am on June 18.

If convicted, he can be jailed up to 50 years and whipped for both offences under the Penal Code.

Upon queried by the judge, his lawyer Ariff Azami Hussein said he had received the documents for preparation of the case last Friday.

Lawyer Gobind Singh Deo held a watching brief for the victim’s family.

Sabah Commissioner of Police Datuk Noor Rashid Ibrahim said a total of 1,970 cases were reported during the period compared to 2,393 cases during the corresponding period last year, a decrease of 423 cases or 17.68 per cent.

He also said Sabah recorded a 40.2 per cent crime-solving rate, a fair achievement considering that the Interpol rate is 20 per cent.

“In terms of Sabah’s population, the crime ratio is one victim to 1,662 residents. We want to improve this further to one victim to 2,000 residents,” he said after opening a meeting of Sabah district police chiefs, here, Wednesday.

Noor Rashid said of the 22 police districts in Sabah including Labuan, Kota Kinabalu topped the list, followed by Penampang, Tawau, Sandakan and Lahad Datu.

On violent crimes such as murder, robbery and fighting, he said there were 313 cases in the first quarter this year compared to 412 during the same period last year.

Though the other violent crime cases dropped, murder cases increased from 20 to 22.

Using a new approach to deal with such cases like the formation of a task force to help other districts, most of the murder cases were solved within 48 hours, said Noor Rashid. On property theft, he said the number of cases also dropped to 1,657 for the first quarter compared to 1,981 during last first quarter.

“But the disturbing trend is an increase in motorcycle thefts. Last first quarter had 105 cases of motorcycle theft but during this year’s first quarter, there were 170 cases with 25 cases solved,” he said. Urging the public to take extra safety measures when parking their motorcycles in light of the increase in such thefts, Noor Rashid said he expected the trend to worsen due to better roads in Sabah now and more youngsters having own motorcycles.

SUNGAI PETANI, March 23 — Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) forces fired tear gas and used water cannons tonight on thousands gathered at a ceramah in Bukit Selambau just as Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was beginning his speech.

The FRU engaged the crowd at about 10pm and the opposition leader and other Pakatan Rakyat leaders are holed up in the building where the ceramah was being held as of 10.45pm.

According to PKR’s Selangor executive councillor Dr Xavier Jeyakumar, those arrested include fellow party member Zamri Yusuf who is a Senator from Kedah and Anwar’s chief of staff Ibrahim Yaacob.

He added that the crowd of thousands dispersed into nearby housing areas with the FRU giving chase who continue to fire tear gas.

Others arrested include aides to Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak and S Manikumar, the candidate for the Bukit Selambau by-elections on April 7.

“I am so angry that the FRU used water cannons and tear gas on 5,000 people gathered to hear DSAI speak,” he stated.

He also told The Malaysian Insider that there are rumours that the authorities want to detain the PKR de facto leader.

Other PKR sources have also told The Malaysian Insider of such rumours since last week when Anwar first hit the campaign trail for the three simultaneous by-elections in Bukit Selambau, Bukit Gantang and Batang Ai.